With the NFL season halfway through, divisions stand tighter than ever and the playoffs are still unpredictable. This week, teams will be looking to uphold streaks and bury some division rivals in the dirt. The hunt for the playoffs is beginning to get real for teams, as winning now is more important than ever.
Here are five games in week ten of the NFL that will knock viewers’ socks off:
- Carolina Panthers vs. Chicago Bears
With both of these teams being amongst the worst in the league, there may not be much of an appeal for excitement at first. However, considering each team’s poor record, it will be interesting to see if one fails to win on purpose, putting them in higher future draft contention. Not only that, but there’s something special about two of a league’s bottom teams squaring off, as neither of them want a reputation worse than the other.
It’s safe to say the Carolina Panthers are having a year they will want to forget. Even with picking up quarterback Bryce Young as the first pick in last year’s draft, they have struggled to create momentum. That being said, they will want to defeat the Bears this weekend, as Chicago currently holds Carolina’s first round pick for next season.
If Carolina continues to lose, it will end up giving Chicago a higher chance of a better draft pick in the spring. The way this season is panning out, the Bears will likely get two of the first five draft picks regardless, and handing Carolina a loss would be pouring salt into the wound. Carolina is going to continue its struggle this season, but a win against the team holding your draft rights may spark a turnaround.
With the teetering draft conditions, the best thing for each of these teams ultimately seems to be a tie, which the league has yet to see this season. The Bears have won five of the last six matchups and are the likely favorites, but with both teams facing constant struggles, this game could go either way. It will offer entertainment in that neither team will want to lose.
2. Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
These division rivals will face off for the second time this season, with the Cleveland Browns searching for revenge in the city of Baltimore. The AFC North always seems to offer the roughest and toughest games, and even though the weather conditions may be the coldest, the rivalries are the most heated. Both sides will be eager for a victory, as this division currently stands as one of the tightest.
The Ravens currently lead their division and will not want to hurt their chances of doing so by losing to another team in the division. They also have some of the best momentum in the league right now, winning four games in a row. With its best record through nine weeks since 2019, this team will want to prove its hunger in sweeping the season series against the Browns.
Cleveland currently sits at third in its division, but is tied amongst everyone except Baltimore. A win will move it smoothly into second place, along with being one game back from the division leaders. Having lost this season’s first matchup will also give the Browns a boost of motivation.
Two young quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson will face off, both in quest of the playoffs once again. For Watson, it’s been four years since he has made the playoffs. If he can help his Browns defeat the Ravens, his team may begin surmounting the momentum to do so.
3. San Francisco 49ers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have been red hot since staring head on with a losing record back in week three. They have won five games straight, and seemed almost rewarded for their efforts with a bye last week. Hopefully for them, a week off does not kill their form, as they are going to need it heading into this weekend.
It has been a tough few weeks for San Francisco fans, after seeing the decline of a team that began the season on top of the world. While Jacksonville may have won its last five games, the 49ers began this season in the exact same fashion. The only difference being that they are winless through their last three weekends.
As San Francisco is also coming off a bye week, fans will hope the team took some time to regroup and perhaps find its footing once again. Maybe a break is exactly what this team needed to discover what was going wrong. There is still plenty for the 49er’s to turn their season around, but if they want to start soon, Sunday will have to be a must win.
Facing four losses in a row could not only be detrimental to the 49er’s season, but their confidence as well. The last couple seasons in San Francisco have been very fluctuant, with back and forth win-loss records. After a deep playoff run last season, it will want to prove the first five weekends of this season were not a fluke. Its chances may also be helped with the addition of defensive lineman Chase Young from Washington, who will likely make his first start with the team.
The Jaguars are no strangers to winning six games in a row, completing the feat just last season. They also stand two games ahead of the second place Texans in their division. Jacksonville has put themselves in good shape early this season, but will want to continue its streak of victories. This battle of two exceptional teams will not be one to miss.
4. New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings
The last five games between these sides have gone separate ways as these teams have consistently offered entertaining games throughout the years. Not only that but memorable moments too that have helped shape the rivalry further. Who could forget the most recent when in 2018, the Saints all but had a playoff win in the bag until Minnesota scored a touchdown while the clock’s final seconds ticked down.
The Vikings will be looking to keep the winning record they have worked hard for as of recent, while the Saints look to win three in a row for the first time this season. Minnesota will be playing without a few of its starters, with its quarterback Kirk Cousins remaining out for the season, and running back Cam Akers suffering the same fate last Sunday. There is a chance that wide receiver Justin Jefferson may return to play, however, he is likely to miss the start as well.
Even with numerous injuries, this team has continued to show heart as of recent, and has won four games in a row to achieve a winning record. Minnesota will face a Saints team who would like to show they are capable of holding on to a winning record too. Each team enters this game with a 5-4 record, and only one can leave retaining that winning record. That is unless there is a tie, which again this season still has yet to see.
The Vikings were victorious in these two sides’ matchup last season, and will be looking to break the chain of opposing victories. If they can get their second win in a row over New Orleans for the first time since 2008, they can also start closing in on a playoff spot. Meanwhile New Orleans would like to keep a firm grasp on its division lead, as the NFC South race continues to heat up.
5. New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
A long lasting division rivalry will write its next chapter, with both teams looking to hurt the other’s shot at climbing the NFC East. The Giants have every right to hold a vendetta over Dallas as of late, after losing to the Cowboys 40-0 back in week one. If Dallas can put on another star-studded performance, it will have no problem retaining its playoff status, but New York would love to hurt its chances.
The Cowboys have won the last five games over the Giants, meaning a New York victory would be sweeter than ever. If the Giants win, they have the chance of handing the Cowboys their fourth loss this season, and second in a row. This would allow the division leader Eagles smooth sailing for the rest of the season, as well as hurt the Cowboys playoff chances. Even at 5-3, Dallas has yet to fully lock in a playoff spot, as well as gain the potential momentum fans were hoping.
Dallas has yet to win three games in a row this season and have lacked the momentum needed to show hopes of a deep playoff run. A win will be crucial for it to stay in the playoff race, and earn another chance at achieving that burst of wins the team has been looking for. A loss for the Cowboys may be the beginning of an ugly turn for the team, while a Giants loss will not be as detrimental.
New York seems to already be out of the playoffs this season, and may even attempt a tank for better draft contention next season. That being said, a win over the Cowboys would give it plenty of bragging rights, and allow them to be held until next season.
